Exploring the Island of Barbados – A Travel Guide
In anticipation of our trip to Barbados we, of course, expected sandy beaches and clear blue water. What we found was so much more…
Where is Barbados, Anyway?
Barbados is a small island country surrounded by coral reefs in the south-eastern Caribbean Sea. Its neighbors include Saint Lucia, to the north, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, to the west, and Trinidad and Tobago to the south.
When is the Best Time to Visit?
It depends. Mid-December to mid-April is the high season and the weather will be a little cooler and less humid. Prices will be higher during this time, though so book early. July to October is the low season and the best time for budget travelers. Barbados has its rainy season during the Summer months, so visitors can expect some rain – but usually not enough to derail activities. Shoulder seasons are mid-April to June and November. Prices will be lower and the island will be less crowded at these times. On average each year, the daily high temperature is 30oC / 86oF and Barbados ocean temperatures are pretty warm (26-29oC / 79-84oF) all year round.
Notable Annual Events are the Holetown Festival and Agrofest in February, Sandy Lane Gold Cup in March and Crop Over Festival (Carnival) in August.
Fun Facts
- Barbados is named after a tree. When the Portuguese first discovered the island in 1536 the Bearded Fig Tree was found all over the island. “Los Barbados” is Portuguese for “The Bearded One.”
- Barbados is the 13th smallest country in the world.
- Barbados has over 80 white sand beaches along its coasts, some of which are named the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean.
- Tap water in Barbados is safe to consume directly from the faucet. The drinking water quality in Barbados is one of the best in the Caribbean due to it being a coral rock-based island that naturally filters the water.
- The National Sport of Barbados is Cricket.
- Barbados is the birthplace of rum and home to Mount Gay Rum – the oldest rum brand in the world dating back to 1703. Today, the rum is exported to 110 countries around the world.
- Barbados is the birthplace of billionaire superstar Rihanna. “Rihanna Drive” is named after her.
- Barbados is home to the Nidhe Israel Synagogue, the oldest Jewish Synagogue in the Americas dating back to 1654.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at Beachview Hotel, a 4-star, family-run hotel on the west coast of the island, overlooking Paynes Bay. The property sits on 5 acres and offers a variety of suites and villas with full kitchens and views of Paynes Bay Beach. There is an onsite cafe, 4 swimming pools, a gym, and a spa.
The suites featured on the website are the newest on the property. Our 3BR suite was spacious and had a gorgeous view of the ocean, but was on the older side of the property and showed minor signs of wear. The service was great, the food at the Sugar Apple Cafe was good, and we enjoyed a nice reception at the owner’s cliffside home! (More on that later). Overall, this is a solid hotel choice in a prime area. However, when we go back to Barbados, I’m splurging on 5-star accommodations – maybe Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lords Castle or Fairmont Royal Pavilion.
What To Do
One of the first things I do whenever I touch down in a new place is take a tour with a local. We took a Historic Walking Tour of Bridgetown with Ms. Karen, who was a fantastic guide around the city. The pride she has in her country is palpable and we learned a lot during our two-hour trek around the city.
Sail away on a Catamaran Cruise. We spent a gorgeous day out on the sea, swimming and snorkeling. The boat made 3 stops, one of which included a visit to an old shipwreck. The crew was top notch and they kept us engaged and entertained the entire trip. Lunch was served with dessert and it was tasty!
Soak up some culture with a visit to St. Nicholas Abbey, The Mount Gay Rum Distillery, and Barbados Museum & Historical Society.
If you’re into it, take a ride down Rihanna drive and see where pop star, Rihanna, grew up.
Top Activities & Excursions
Where To Eat
I gotta keep it real. A lot of the food we experienced was generally underwhelming. It could very well be that we just happened to dine at lackluster spots. Here are a few of the better restaurants we tried:
Mustor’s Restaurant & Bar
Cuisine: Caribbean
Meal: Lunch
We went to Mustor’s on the suggestion of Ms. Karen, the local tour guide who took us around Bridgetown. We had traditional flying fish, split peas and rice and macaroni pie and coleslaw. It was OK as served, but once we doused the fish and rice with some of the sauces on the table, it leveled-up the plate.
De Clay Oven
Cuisine: Pizza
Meal: Dinner
If you told me ahead of my trip that the tastiest meal I’d have on the island of Barbados was going to be pizza, I’d call you a bald-headed liar! I don’t know what manner of pizza-making the owners were trained in, but they do it right. I’ve eaten pizza all over the world, and their Spicy Hog pizza was one of the best we’ve tasted!
QP Bistro
Cuisine: Seafood, Italian
Meal: Breakfast
There are several restaurants you will find repeatedly mentioned when researching dining options in Barbados. QP Bistro is one of them. We had a decent breakfast (and some delicious coffee) there, but the food wasn’t the draw. The atmosphere, and the fabulous ocean views are the selling point and it’s absolutely worth a visit. They also have live music daily. If you’re headed to Barbados, put this one on your list.
Angel’s Cafeteria
Cuisine: Caribbean
Meal: Dinner
We went to the famous Oistins Fish Fry on a Friday night and found ourselves at Angel’s food stall. The food was decent and the drinks were two for one. The odd thing (to me) about the Fish Fry is that just about every food stall serves the exact same menu. I don’t understand how that works, but somehow it does. Again, the food wasn’t anything spectacular, but you have to do the fish fry at least once. It’s law. 🙃
Sugar Apple Cafe
Cuisine: Caribbean, International, Bar
Meal: Breakfast, Dinner
This restaurant is located onsite at the Beachview Hotel. The atmosphere is very nice and they have themed nights with live musicians. The service is top notch and the drinks were nice and strong. It rained on several days of our trip, so it was nice to have a good option to grab a meal or snack nearby without having to venture out too far.
What To Bring
They say if you stay ready, you won’t have to get ready. As usual, I brought along some of our favorite travel essentials:
Waterproof Phone Case
Mesh Beach Bag
SPF 70 Sunscreen
Portable Phone Charger
Don’t Forget The Travel Insurance
Don’t leave home without it. Ever. Visit Squaremouth for the best quote to safeguard your trip!
Summary
We enjoyed our trip to Barbados! There were, however, several things that surprised us:
We rented a car and I’m not sure I’d recommend doing so. There is a significant amount of traffic on the island – way too many cars for such a small area – and the roads are narrow. If you’re coming from the US and are not used to driving on the opposite side of the road, seriously consider taking the local buses to get around.
We stayed on the west side of the island, which they call the “Platinum Coast” and it is home to prime, beautiful beach-front property. With that, comes a lot of construction, which (temporarily) affects the landscape.
Overall, Barbados is lovely island that is undergoing quite a bit of transformation. It will be interesting to see what it will look like over the next 5-10 years. We really enjoyed learning about the island’s history and interacting with the locals. Our goal is to always come back with more knowledge about our destination than when we arrived. Mission accomplished.
Check out my Barbados vlog on YouTube!
Have a question or collaboration request? Get in touch.
This website contains links to affiliate websites. When you click on and/or make a purchase through an affiliate link on this website, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Use of affiliate links does not influence the products, services and websites that we share with you. This notification applies to all of the various means we use to communicate with you, including via this website, email, phone, social media, our products or otherwise.